HRSD update / Saudi Arabia
The Nitaqat salary change,
explained for business owners.
The salary needed for full Nitaqat counting is set to rise to SAR 5,000, then SAR 6,000. Check how the change could affect your team and payroll budget.
What does “counting” mean?
Nitaqat assesses a business’s Saudi employment level. Under the general wage rule, an eligible Saudi employee can count as one, half, or zero towards the calculation. The number counted can differ from the number of people on your payroll.
One example
A Saudi employee earning SAR 5,000 a month
Assume the employee meets the other conditions for general full-time counting.
Existing general rule
1 employee
Announced stage 1
1 employee
Announced stage 2
½ employee
Same person, same salary. In stage 2, SAR 5,000 earns half credit because full counting starts at SAR 6,000.
What are the two announced stages?
The existing general threshold for full counting is SAR 4,000 a month. The two announced stages raise that amount.
SAR 5,000 for full counting
Reported start:
HRSD’s FAQ says six months from the decision date. Date sources ↗
- Counts as one
- SAR 5,000 or more a month
- Counts as half
- SAR 4,000 to below SAR 5,000
- Does not count
- Below SAR 4,000 under this wage rule
SAR 6,000 for full counting
Reported start:
Twelve months after stage 1 begins. Date sources ↗
- Counts as one
- SAR 6,000 or more a month
- Counts as half
- SAR 5,000 to below SAR 6,000
- Does not count
- Below SAR 5,000 under this wage rule
About these dates: Argaam and AlBilad report the dates shown above. HRSD’s FAQ gives the six-month and twelve-month periods; we have not verified a separate HRSD decision stating the calendar dates. The wider support package’s 1 January 2027 date is different.
Does this mean everyone needs a pay rise?
No. These amounts are not a universal minimum wage for all Saudi employees. The measure does not automatically require a pay rise for every Saudi worker, and the ministry does not pay the salary difference.
Check whether your team will still provide the Saudi employment credit your business needs under each stage.
Who is covered?
- Saudi employees already on your team when a stage starts, as well as new hires.
- Part-time and flexible workers, working Saudi students, eligible employees with disabilities and released prisoners, under their own category rules.
The wage test sits alongside other Nitaqat conditions. Check the documented contract and the employee’s status in Qiwa, as well as any profession-specific Saudization rules.
What should your business do now?
Check your current position
Check the Saudi employees counted in Qiwa, their recorded wages and employment categories. Start with those records.
Work out the effect on your team
Compare each wage with both stages. Where counting could fall, review the wage or recruitment budget needed for your staffing plan.
Confirm the dates before acting
Confirm the applicable decision and any job-specific rules before changing payroll or contracts. Recheck the result in Qiwa when each stage applies.
Planning to set up in Saudi Arabia?
Allow for Saudi hiring and payroll from the start, alongside registration and licences. We can help organise the setup and workforce records you need to review.
Discuss your workforce planOfficial sources
HRSD’s FAQ explains the counting rules. SPA records the 25 October announcement. The applicable rules and your Qiwa record determine your business’s final position.
Reported calendar dates
Dates reported by Argaam · AlBilad, checked 27 October 2026. These reports are separate from the official sources above.
Read the supporting conditions and wider support measures
Which workers and conditions are covered?
Existing Saudi staff and new hires are covered. Part-time and flexible workers, working Saudi students, eligible workers with disabilities and released prisoners keep their own category conditions.
Saudi employment contracts must be documented in Qiwa for Nitaqat counting under the existing requirement from 15 April 2026. Profession-specific Saudization rules also need checking separately.
Where do the dates come from?
Argaam and AlBilad report stage one from 25 April 2027 and stage two from 25 April 2028. HRSD’s FAQ gives relative timing: six months from the decision date, followed by twelve months after stage one starts.
We have not verified a separate HRSD decision stating those calendar dates. The wider support package’s 1 January 2027 date is different.
Is this the same as the SAR 500 support?
No. The wider announcement includes support for specified public-service employees, retirees, eligible surviving family members and social-security beneficiaries, under their eligibility rules.
The Nitaqat measure does not provide a SAR 500 allowance for every private-sector worker or a ministry-funded salary top-up.